OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Rangers welcomed Willie Calhoun back to the major leagues Thursday with a seemingly bold statement.

"I want to see him play," manager Chris Woodward said.

And then he sat him down for his first day back in the majors.

Which leads to this question: What exactly does Woodward have in store for Calhoun as the Rangers' season seems to inch farther from surprising playoff contention and closer to experimentation and future auditions?

The answer: Wait a week or so.

In the lineup Friday, Calhoun delivered a pair of hits, including a home run, in a 5-2 come-from-behind win over Oakland. Woodward, though, can't make any guarantees about more playing time at the moment. For now, he has three left-handed hitting corner outfielders - Calhoun, Nomar Mazara and Shin-Soo Choo - for two spots. There will be some rotating of guys at least until the trade deadline passes Wednesday at 3 p.m. CT.

"There is a lot up in the air until the deadline," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. "There is so much dust that still has to settle. Things could change in so many ways or not at all."

Teams, most of them with top-tier farm systems, have expressed interest in a handful of players, including starter Mike Minor, relievers Chris Martin and Jose Leclerc and DH Hunter Pence.

For example, Tampa Bay, which has Baseball America's top-ranked system, has expressed interest in Martin and Pence, according to three sources. The Rangers responded by sending scouts to watch Triple-A Durham. The Rangers were also watching Atlanta's Triple-A team in suburban Atlanta closely; the Braves have expressed interest in Minor and the relievers. San Diego and the Chicago White Sox, which also have top-five systems, have been scouting Nomar Mazara.

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The point: The roster could look vastly different in a week. And, if so, broader opportunities could be opened up for Calhoun and others. If Pence and/or Mazara are traded it removes an impediment to Calhoun's playing time.

"I see him as an everyday bat, that's what I envision," Woodward said. "He's got a very accomplished swing. I want to see what it looks like against both right-handers and left-handers. But right now, I can't make him any promises. There are a lot of intriguing guys on the way."

Scott Heineman: He missed the first six weeks of the season recovering from shoulder surgery. Since he's returned, he hit .384 with a 1.043 OPS in his first 112 at-bats heading into Friday. At 26, he's "old" for a prospect, but he's athletic and a right-handed hitters, and the Rangers are short on both. He's recently started working at first base and has started five games there this month.

Nick Solak: Acquired from Tampa Bay for Pete Fairbanks earlier this month, Solak is another right-handed hitter, who can play second (hear that, Rougned Odor?) and the outfield. When he was acquired, GM Jon Daniels acknowledged there was nothing wrong with additional competition. The Rangers could create direct competition for that with a call-up.

Joe Palumbo: Palumbo would likely be in the Rangers' rotation right now if not for a balky left ankle that has given him some recent problems. Instead Pedro Payano stepped in and pitched well. But if the Rangers do trade Minor, it will create another hole in the rotation that must be filled.

Palumbo, if healthy, would be the leading candidate. But the Rangers would also like to look at Brock Burke, acquired last winter from Tampa Bay. Burke missed much of the first half of the season at Double-A Frisco with blister and shoulder issues but has held hitters to a .153 batting average in four starts since his mid-June return. He has only 42 2/3 innings of work this season because of the injuries, but Woodward is still eager to see Burke in the majors this season.

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Emmanuel Clase: After Fairbanks' meteoric rise, the Rangers were willing to deal him because of an abundance of power-throwing relief arms. Clase, who regularly hits 101 mph, is at the top of the list there. After a rocky May following his promotion from Class A Down East to Frisco, he's responded by allowing just two runs in 22 innings since June 1. In that span he has 26 strikeouts and two walks. And beyond Clase, there is also right-hander Joe Barlow, who was recently promoted to Triple-A Nashville.

There are likely changes coming to the Rangers' roster soon. A more significant role for Calhoun may simply be the first of those.